Rowboat attachment



April 5, 1949. v. E. ANKARLO ROWBOAT ATTACHMENT 2 Shee ts-Sh eet 1 'Fil ed Aug. 29, 1946 v M W M 5 m5 M r .t. w. 4 n

April 1949' v. E. ANKARLO ROWBOAT ATTACHMENT 2 Shets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 29, 1946 IN V EN TOR.

m n h n r 0 10 w V ?M I BY 4x445 Patented Apr. 5, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROWBOAT ATTACHMENT Victor E. AnkarlmDolton, 111.

Application August 29, 1946, Serial No. 693,652

2 Claims.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in rowboat attachments and has for its principal object the provision of an improved construction of this character 'which will be highly efiicient in use and economical in manufacture.

The invention more particularly has concern with the oarlocks of a rowboat, the principal provision of which is to permit a boatsman to sit in the rowboat facing the direction of movement of the boat.

The important object of the invention is the provision of an oarlock comprising few parts, with the result that the same may be manufactured at an economical cost.

Yet another, an equally important object of the invention, is the provision of an oarlock which may be detachably connected to the gunwale of the boat, in proper position with respect to the seat to be occupied by the boatsman thereby affording the rowing operation with the minimum effort on the part of the boatsman.

A further, and equally important object of the invention, is the provision of an oscillatory mounting frame on which are pivotally supported complementary or bearing portions inter-connected for pivotal movement in opposed directions with respect to each other by means of groove and cable connections, the arrangement being such that there are no teeth employed which would otherwise be likely to break by virtue of the force applied to the oar portions, nor parts which would otherwise lock together and thus interfere with the smooth and easy operation of the oar bearing portions.

Another object of the invention is the provision of preventing the detachment of the oar portion bearing frame from the gunwale brackets thus resulting in a structure having a maximum of safety.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a standard rowboat of an approved construction showing my invention associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of my invention;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the same;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational View of the same;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view similar to that shown in Fig. l but showing a slightly modified form of construction and Fig. 6 is an elevational view of the gunwale clamp embodied in the invention but showing a modified form of construction over that shown in Fig. .2.

vided a bearing 29.

The preferred form of construction by which the many objects of my invention are accomplished is shown in the accompanying drawings. In this connection, a rowboat of a standard and approved form of construction is indicated at H] and includes, in addition to the side walls I l and bottom wall it, the usual seats I3.

The side walls l l are capped by the usual gunwales it. It is with such a boat that my improved oarlock is adapted to be used whereby to enable the boatsman to occupy a seat soas to face the direction of travel of the boat, in which position he may have a clear vision of his path of travel.

In use, a pair of oarlocks are employed. One of the oarlocks is shown in Fig. 2. These oarlocks are of the same construction and operate in the same manner.

The oarlock illustrated in Fig. 2 comprises a clamping structure l5 comprising an elongated spacing rod or bar it at the opposite ends of which are clamps ll and I8. Each of these clamps includes a clamp plate l9 adapted to cooperate with a clamp screw 26 threadedly supported by a bearing 22 formed as an integral part of a connecting bar 22. This clamp plate i9 is adapted to be clamped to the gunwaie i l in the manner shown in Fig. l.

The clamp plates 59 provide upwardly extending portions 23 terminating into hook elements E l facing outwardly with respect to the gunwale it when the clamp is attached to the gunwale as shown in Fig. 1.

vA mounting structure is employed and comprises a frame 25 having diverging arms 26 and 26' perforated at their outer ends as at 21 for con- :nection with the hook elements 25. The arm26 is formed as an integral part of an extension plate :26. Substantially at the point of junction between the arm 2&5 and the plate 28 there is pro- This bearing 29 carries a pintle til which serves in one capacity to pivotally connect the arm 26 to the arm 26 whereby the arm 26 may be collapsed against the arm 26' when the oarlock is dismounted from the gunwale.

By pivotally connecting the arms 2% and 26 together the distance between the perforated end portions 2i may be adjusted to conform to the distance between the hook elements 24. This construction therefore eliminates the necessity of precision in manufacture of the parts.

The outer end portion of the plate 28 provides a bearingtl. Pivotally connected to this plate 28 are complementary oar bearing sockets 32 and 33.

The socket 232 is formed as an integral part of segmental plate 36 and provides a bearing 35 through which the pintle 38 projects for connecting the socket 32 and its plate 34 to the frametb.

The socket'tt is likewise formed as an integral part of a segmental plate 36, and through a'bearing 3'! this socket and its plate 36 are pivotally connected to the bearing by a pivot 38.

These segmental plates 35 and 36 are arranged to oscillate in substantially the same plane and are provided, Fig. 3, with curved opposing surfaces 38. Each of these surfaces, Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, are provided with spaced parallel horizontally extending grooves 48 and ll. Fixed to the plate 34 as at '32, and extending over the curved surface 39 is one end portion M of a braided cable 43, with the opposite end portion 515 secured as at 46 to the plate 36. This cable 43, in its direction of extension from the plate 3% to the plate 36, is mounted in the groove fill of the opposing surfaces 39. A similar cable t! has one end portion 48 connected as at 49 to the plate 36 and an opposite end portion 5% connected as at 5! to the plate 34, and this cable 41 bears in the grooves 4| of the opposing surfaces 39. The cables s3 and 4'! cross each other at a point on the longitudinal axis of the plate 23 and provide an interconnection between the segmental plates 34 and 36, whereby these plates and the sockets carried thereby will oscillate in opposed directions with respect to each other.

It is desirable for frictional engagement between the base of the grooves so and ll of the opposed surfaces 39 and the cables 43 and ll that the direction of braiding of the strands of these cables be in opposite directions.

The means for connecting the ends of the cables to the segmental plates may be of any approved and desirable means. For instance, the ends 18 and d5 of the cables ll and 43 respectively are connected to the plate 36 by imbedding the ends thereof in solder blocks 52 mounted in sockets 53 formed in the plate 35. The ends 46 and 58 of the cables 43 and ill respectively have secured thereto nipples 54 which project through lugs 55 formed on the plate 34 and threaded on these nipples 54 are lock nuts 55.

The cars 5'? are each divided into two portions 58 and 59. The portion 5a is provided with the paddle blade (not shown) whereas the portion 59 constitutes a handle. These portions 58 and 59 are mounted in the sockets 32 and 33 and may be fixed therein by suitable pins 69 which project through opening El formed in the sockets.

To complete the invention there is provided above the point of engagement between the cables 43 and 51 a suitable guard plate 62 which prevents dirt and grit from finding lodgment between the cables, and guards against accidental placement of the hand between the cables.

To attach the oarlock to the gunwale Id of the boat Ill, the clamps 19 are first attached to the gunwale H5. The arms 26 and 26 are then connected to the hooks 24. The car portions 58 and 59 are mounted with their ends in their respective sockets 32 and 33,

The boatsman will occupy the seat forwardly of the rear seat 13 and face the bow of the boat. The handle or car portions 59 are disposed forwardly of him. By manipulating these handles, rowing action will be transmitted to the car portions 58 so as to row the boat in the direction toward which the boatsman is facing. By virtue of the perforations 2'! and the hook elements 24, the oarlock may be tilted laterally with respect to the sides of the boat :50 as to dispose the oar portions 53 at a proper angle for rowing purposes and for lowering and elevating the paddle or blade portion of the car into and from the water.

When detached from the boat, the oarlock may have the arms collapsed with respect to each other so as to occupy the minimum of space when placed in storage when not in use.

The cable connections between the segmental plates 34 and 36 provide a silent movement of these plate and by virtue of their positive connection and frictional engagement in their respective grooves, a positive rowing action will result.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated a modified form of clamp for clamping the oarlock to the gunwale M. In this respect, hook elements 63, similar to the hook elements 24, are provided, but associated with each of these hook elements 63 is a springurged safety pin E i which releasably latches the perforated ends of the arms 26 and 26' within the hook elements 53.

The modified form shown in Fig. 5 is substantially similar to that shown in Figure 4, with the exception that an additional socket 65 is formed the plate 34! in a position above the plane of the socket This arrangement permits the mounting of the car portion 58 as a continuation of the handle portion 59, whereby if for some reason the boa-tsman desires to row facing the stern of the boat, he may do so by merely mounting the car portions 58 in the sockets 65.

From the foregoing description read in the light of the drawings, it will be apparent that I provide an oarlock capable of all the accomplishments hereinbefore set forth and that the same comprises relatively few parts thereby resulting in expeditious assembly and economical manufacture.

While I have illustrated and described the pre- 5 ferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. An oarlock of the class described, comprising a frame having a pair of arms pivotally connected together for adjustment relative to each other, segmental plates arranged in opposed relation with respect to each other and pivot-ally carried by said frame, cable members connecting said plates together for oscillatory movement in opposite directions with respect to each other, clamping means for connecting the frame member to the gunwale of a boat, means providing pivotal connection between the arms of said 'rame member and said clamping means, socket elements on said plates, and car portions mounted in said socket elements, one of said plates having an auxiliary socket element thereon, disposed in a plane above the socket of the other of the plates.

2. An oarlock of the class described, comprising a frame having a pair of arms pivotally connected together for adjustment relative to each other, segmental plates arranged in opposed relation with respect to each other and pivot-ally carried by said frame, cable members connecting said plates together for oscillatory movement in opposite directions with respect to each other, clamping means for connecting the frame member to the gunwale of a boat, means providing pivotal connection between the arms of said frame member and said clamping means, socket elements on said plates, and oar portions mounted 5 in said socket elements, said segmental plates having opposed curved surfaces providing tracks for said cable members, one of said plates having an auxiliary socket element thereon disposed in a plane above the socket of the other of the 5 plates.

VICTOR E. ANKARLO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 19 file of this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Smith Sept. 12, 1865 Wright July 3, 1894 McFarland Apr. 3, 1895 Kemp June 21, 1921 Ankarlo June 4, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Number Sweden June 30, 1938 

